Balsamic Bruschetta Chicken Sandwich

 

      One of my favorite appetizers/snacks is balsamic bruschetta crostinis - just cut up a baguette, toast the pieces and top them with a mixture of diced tomatoes, balsamic vinegar and feta cheese (I'll post a recipe another time!). I was craving those flavors but I needed something more substantial considering it was dinner time, so I thought I might as well press it all into a hearty grilled sandwich and serve it with some baked sweet potato fries.

 
   
     For two sandwiches I used about a half a can of italian style petite diced tomatoes draining out the juice, but you could also slice up some fresh tomatoes (might be less messy to work with, I'd recommend that instead). That's probably what I would have done if I had any on hand! It's an easy meal but it has a ton of flavor, and especially with a side of sweet potato fries, it's very filling and satisfying. Be sure to put it all between some whole wheat bread for extra nutritional value!

      Another option, instead of pulling the chicken and mixing it with the sauce, is to pound the chicken thin, season with garlic powder and pepper, marinate with balsamic vinegar and olive oil for a few hours before cooking and cook on stovetop until juices run clear. Cut into small slices and complete recipe as follows.

Pulled Balsamic Bruschetta Chicken Sandwich

2 sandwiches

Ingredients:

1 chicken breast

4 pieces whole wheat bread

2 tbsp butter

3 tbsp balsamic vinegar

2 tsp minced garlic

2/3 cup petite diced tomatoes, drained of juices (or 4-6 slices of fresh tomato)

1 tsp basil

1 big handful spinach

1/3 cup feta cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Cut chicken breast into 3-4 pieces and bring to a low simmer in large pot of water over stove with 1/2 tsp of salt. Let cook for about 10-15 minutes (don't bring to a rapid boil because chicken can easily over cook and become tough) and check to make sure its cooked all the way through and no longer pink. Once done, remove chicken from pot and shred with two forks on cutting board. Mix together with balsamic vinegar and garlic and season with salt and pepper. Butter one side of each piece of toast (the outside that will be touching the pan/grill) and, as shown in above picture, top with chicken, tomatoes sprinkled with basil, feta cheese and spinach and top with bread. Use George Forman style grill or heat on pan over stove to crisp bread, about three minutes each side.